Amazing Facts About Babies That Will Change The Way You Think About Them

If you think you got babies all figured out, then think again! Buzzle has provided some facts about babies that will change your perception about them.

Fact about Caucasian babies

Masters at Changing Diapers?

Studies show that men are significantly faster at changing a diaper as compared to women.
For most of us, babies are little bundles of joy that eat, sleep, and poop; of course, with the occasional adorable chuckle and some horrendous crying. But if you think babies are just that, then we come with some news for you, they're much, much more.

We promise you one thing, this Buzzle post is going to change (if not completely) your perception about babies. Here are some facts, albeit some weird ones, about babies that you never knew.

newborn doesn't smile

Many newborns are hairy at birth. The body hair usually fall off in the first three or four months after birth. Premature babies seem to be more hairy at birth. When the fetus is around four months, it grows a mustache of fine hair, which in the course of a month spreads to cover the entire body, and is called lanugo. The lanugo usually falls off before birth and is eaten by the baby, and it comprises the first poop or the meconium.

Female babies may experience some side effects from being exposed to maternal hormones in the uterus. This usually causes them to shed the outer lining of the uterine walls, or in simple words, some female newborns experience a mini-period following a dip in the estrogen (female hormone) levels after delivery.

Newborns have limited ability to regulate their body temperature. They can move but are unable to shiver when cold. Babies sweat only through 25-30 percent of the sweat glands present on their head, neck, feet, and hands.

A baby can breathe and swallow at the same time, until the age of about seven months; this is because the larynx or the voice box and the hyoid bone in babies are situated higher in the nasal cavity as compared to adults.

Babies grow twice their size, in terms of weight, in just six months!

babies recognize mother's scent

Babies have a very keen sense of smell; they can identify the scent of their mothers when they are as young as a week old. Some studies also suggest that mothers can recognize their babies when blindfolded through their scent.

4 or 5 out of every 100 newborns (both males and females) lactate, i.e., they discharge milk from their nipples, it is also accompanied by swollen breasts. This again is a side effect of the exposure to maternal hormones in the womb.

If a newborn were to be hung midair, its grasp is strong enough to support its own body weight.

Babies have around 10,000 taste buds present on the tongue, sides, roof, and back of the mouth. This number dwindles down to around 2,000 taste buds in adults.

Infants cannot decipher the taste of salt until they're almost four months old.

babies respond to female voice

The reason we instinctively talk to babies in a high-pitched voice is because babies respond better to female voices as compared to any other sound. This is called motherese or baby talk. Some studies also show that babies prefer human voices to any other background noise.

Male fetuses usually get an erection in their mother's womb; once again, maternal hormones are to be blamed. This can also be seen in some newborns.

Oddly enough, babies born in the month of May are, on an average, 200 grams heavier than their non-May born counterparts.

A newborn baby learns to smile only after it is a month old.

The tear ducts of a baby produce enough fluids to keep the eyes moist; however, tears aren't produced by these ducts until the baby is a few weeks old.

babies are shortsighted

The eyes of babies are 75% of their adult size. A newborn is shortsighted and can only focus on objects that are placed within 8-14 inches. The vision of a newborn is around 20/400 which improves to 20/20 by the age of six months.

Most newborns tend to urinate once in twenty minutes, this retention increases to an hour by the age of six months.

Almost 80% of newborns have some sort of a birthmark; in a way, making abnormality normal. The most common birthmarks are "stork bites" and "port wine stains".

Babies, at birth, do not have a bony kneecap. They usually have a cartilaginous structure in its place, the development of the bony cartilage does not begin before six months.

newborns do not produce tears

Babies usually sleep with one of their eyes open almost 50% of their sleep time. This is usually called nocturnal lagophthalmos.

Adults have no recollection of the memories before the age of 3 years, this condition is called infantile amnesia.